Masterclass on classical sounds

Explore the various facets of Indian Classical sounds in a unique two-day music festival, Shadaja 3.0, featuring musical concerts, workshops and interactive performances

Started in 2011 by sisters Kamakshi and Vishala Khurana, The Sound Space promotes sound through methods that are simple and easy to grasp. The organisation hosts the annual Classical music event, Shadaja (referring to ‘sa’, the first note in the Saptak), with an aim to evoke the magic of Indian Classical music and its traditions in an engaging fashion.

Singer Shubha Mudgal

What to expectCurrently in its third edition, Shadaja will start off with a two-hour interactive performance featuring singer Shubha Mudgal, tabla player Aneesh Pradhan and harmonium player Sudhir Nayak during which they will demystify the intricate nuances and styles of Indian Classical music.

Tabla player Aneesh Pradhan

On day two, children trained at The Sound Space will perform Indian Classical music based on the concept of Panchabhoota (five elements) along with students from Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia’s Vrindaban Gurukul and the NGO Muktangan.

At the start of each concert, there will be a percussion jam featuring percussionists from the National Streets for the Performing Arts (NSPA). Workshops will be held during both days before the concerts, and will be held in collaboration with Grammy award winner Pandit Dhruba Ghosh and music therapy expert Harendra Khurana.

Grammy award winner Pt Dhruba Ghosh

Music for allSpeaking about the event, Kamakshi Khurana says, “The idea behind Shadaja is to demystify Indian music and make it approachable for both children as well as adults. We believe that our culture needs to be preserved and we look at new ways of doing this. The event is a window into the amazing world of Indian music.”

Emphasising on their core belief that sound is powerful and can influence each and every person, Khurana states, “Sound has the power to touch every aspect of human life. From a child with Attention Deficiency Disorder (ADD) or autism to an employee struggling at work, from cancer patients to little ones wanting to learn a new form of art, the various programmes at The Sound Space aim to heal and revive mind, body and soul.”

The sisters have also devised a four-month Shadaja intensive training programme where they train children from various schools. “The children put up a rendition of what they have learnt at the culmination of this module. We also hold workshops exposing children and adults to various other forms of Indian music,” she sums up.

11 am to 1 pm> Everyone Can Sing (10 years and above) Bring the joy of music to your child with Mehli Mehta Music Foundation’s Rael Mendes. Cost Rs 750.

3 pm to 5 pm> Sound, Strings and the Sarangi (for everyone)Explore the world of sound through the sarangi, one of the most popularly used string instruments in Hindustani Classical music, with Pandit Dhruba Ghosh.Cost: Rs 1,000